The Hebrew Word Nasa’ and Forgiveness

The Hebrew word nasa’ is most commonly translated as “lift” or “bear" and it shows us practical ways to demonstrate forgiveness.

When you think of NASA, what comes to mind? For most, it’s probably an image of a shuttle launching into space. At each launch, there’s a phrase following the countdown. That phrase is, “Lift off!” The Hebrew word nasa’ means “to lift.” NASA is an acronym for National Aeronautics and Space Administration and has no connection to the word nasa’. However, the coincidental similarity in English makes the word’s meaning easy to remember.

Nasa’ is most commonly translated as “lift” or “bear.” In Exodus 19:14, God tells the Israelites, “I carried you on eagles’ wings.”1 Cain laments that his punishment is greater than he can bear (Genesis 4:13). The scapegoat bore the iniquities of the Israelites (Leviticus 16:22). This is the general sense of nasa’ in almost all of its 600+ uses. However, in sixteen instances, nasa’ is translated as “forgive” or some variation. This is a unique word. The other primary Hebrew word translated as “forgive” (salah) is only used of God’s forgiveness, never of one person forgiving another. But nasa’ is used for both God’s forgiveness and the forgiveness we offer each other. The convergence of the two usages of this word, the parallels between forgiving and lifting, is where we find beautiful imagery and practical application for our interactions with one another.

Only God can offer the forgiveness that directly leads to salvation. Humans can’t do that for one another, no matter how much we may want to in some cases. The forgiveness God asks and expects us to offer is the lifting of a burden off the shoulders of the one who has wronged us. We do this in our treatment of that person, by how we speak of them, and in our thoughts toward them. We can also symbolically lift the sin of another into the heavenly realm for God to deal with and let go of our right to collect on that debt. We can’t wipe away sin, but we can lift the burden. We see examples of this type of forgiveness in the lives of Joseph and David.

Joseph

Joseph’s brothers mocked him, threw him in a pit, and sold him into slavery. By the time Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers years later, he had evidently done the hard work of forgiveness. The following phrases in Genesis 45 demonstrate this forgiveness’s appearance in practice.

Please come closer to me. (v. 4).

Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves. (v. 5).

God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. (v. 7).

Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God. (v. 8).

You shall live in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children and your flocks and your herds and all that you have. (v. 10).

There I will also provide for you. (v. 11).

Joseph didn’t pretend the sin hadn’t happened. He said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.” (v. 4). Joseph acknowledged the sin while displaying kindness. He seemed to be mindful of the guilt and shame his brothers would’ve been feeling all those years, especially now when confronted with their sin. He assured them there was a purpose for it all. He did not want them to feel grief or anger at themselves despite the fact they permanently altered his life out of envy and spite.

When their father died, Joseph’s brothers wondered if he would finally repay them for their sins. There is palpable compassion in Joseph’s response to them. He wept and then said,

Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. (Genesis 50:19-21).

Joseph assured his brothers his forgiveness was genuine and not pretense while his father was alive. We might have wanted our betrayers to feel a little fear and uncertainty if it were us. But that wasn’t the case with Joseph. 

Again, Joseph did not deny their evil intent but focused on God’s sovereignty. This is a powerful example of how to mentally reframe betrayal in our own lives. Justification of sin is neither helpful nor appropriate, but seeing God’s hand at work during the trial can bring peace and trust that cannot come if we are solely focused on evil. This lesson is reiterated in Romans 8:28: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

How quickly Joseph’s brothers’ minds returned to their sin! And how often do we hang on to our sins, even when God has forgiven us? If we truly believe our sins are removed as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12), we will feel this lifting, this nasa’, in our lives and extend it to others.

David

The word nasa’ was used when Abigail asked David not to destroy her household because of her husband’s actions, to lift the consequences of Nabal’s folly away from them (1 Samuel 25:28). David responded by not killing Nabal, and eventually marrying Abigail after Nabal’s death at God’s hand. Let’s look at some other examples in David’s life that show in detail how he practiced forgiveness, specifically with Saul.

Try to pick out which word in the following passage comes from the word nasa’. 

Then David came to Saul and attended him; and Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor bearer. (1 Samuel 16:21). 

The word for “armor bearer” is nasa’. David was a literal lifter of Saul’s armor. We also see a symbolic lifting in their relationship. David lifted Saul’s mood by playing his harp when he had an evil spirit (1 Samuel 16:23). He also forgave him when he sinned against him.

Saul tried to kill David several times, and David eventually went on the run. While hiding in a cave, he wrote several psalms, including Psalm 142.

I cry aloud with my voice to the Lord; I make supplication with my voice to the Lord. I pour out my complaint before Him… I said, “You are my refuge… Give heed to my cry, for I am brought very low; Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.” (Psalm 142:1, 5-6).

Despite his fear and sorrow, David turned to God for comfort instead of dwelling on anger and bitterness. He lifted the sin up to God, asking for the burden to be taken off him.

Twice during this time, David had the opportunity to kill Saul but refrained. When David found Saul sleeping and cut off the hem of his garment, he immediately regretted it. 1 Samuel 24 highlights David’s forgiving attitude toward Saul.

So he said to his men, “Far be it from me because of the LORD that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD’S anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the LORD’S anointed.” …Now afterward David arose and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself…“Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the LORD had given you today into my hand in the cave, and some said to kill you, but my eye had pity on you… For in that I cut off the edge of your robe and did not kill you, know and perceive that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands, and I have not sinned against you… May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be against you.” (1 Samuel 24:6, 8, 10-12). 

David knew he would be king someday. He could have killed Saul and plausibly claimed this was God’s plan for his ascension to the throne. But David was a man who tried to walk with integrity. He showed honor in bowing to Saul, demonstrated pity, and refused to act rebelliously against him. He recognized that God would take vengeance and that it would not come from David’s own hand.

Final Example

Numbers 21 tells the account of the children of Israel rebelling and being bitten by venomous serpents and God’s solution. “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.’” (v. 8). 

Jesus revisits this story with Nicodemus in John 3:14-15, saying, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.”

The word “standard” in the first passage comes from the Hebrew word nec. This word is also translated as “pole,” “ensign,” and “banner.” It means “something lifted up” and is related to the word nasa’. Christ was literally lifted up—first on the cross and then in exaltation. We look to him to be healed of our sins, as the Israelites looked to the bronze serpent for healing of their bites. Moses often used the word nasa’ when asking God to forgive the people, to lift their sins off them. In Numbers, God lifted the sin away by having the people look upon something that had been lifted—the serpent. Our sins are lifted away by looking at someone who has been lifted—Jesus. This parallel is a more beautiful and complete picture because Jesus’ lifting also includes his exaltation.

When we forgive each other, we imitate Christ in a small way. Practicing forgiveness—the lifting away of sin— is a direct acknowledgment of Christ’s work as he was lifted up on the cross and then sat at his Father’s right hand in glory. We’ve been given the privilege of participating in a symbolic lifting away of sin from others, which is ultimately only possible if we are all looking to the one who has been lifted up to bear our sins away. When forgiveness is the hardest, this image and promise should provide comfort. We are forgiven (lifted) as we forgive (lifting others).

This intriguing Hebrew word, nasa’, shows us practical ways to demonstrate forgiveness. In some cases, forgiveness will not mean a restored relationship. We may have people in our lives with whom we need to enforce boundaries related to time and contact. This action does not negate the fact that forgiveness can still happen. In these cases, forgiveness may take place almost entirely through lifting up prayers and elevating our thoughts and words about the person rather than in direct interaction. But often, there can be undertones of resentment even with those with whom we interact most if we have not fully enacted the forgiveness we may say and even think we have granted. When this is the case, we can take lessons from the actions and principles of forgiveness in the lives of Joseph and David.

Ultimately, it is only through the lifting up of Christ that we can share in this opportunity to help lift the burden of sin off the shoulders of our brethren and those around us. We honor Christ’s sacrifice when we take full advantage of this privilege and responsibility.

Jessica Miller,
Richmond Chapel
Unamended Ecclesia, VA

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Editor’s Note: A similar concept to nasa’ continues in the New Testament. The Greek word used often for forgiveness is aphiemi, which is translated as “sending away, yielding up.” It carries the idea of turning over the offenses against us to our Lord so that we may lift up and reflect the Lord Jesus Christ to those who offend us. It was what Jesus did when he was reviled and threatened. “He committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.” (1 Peter 2:23).

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